Iodine Rocks Solution

How It Works

Each team is presented with 7 rocks of varying sizes, with a single letter painted 6 of the rocks, while the seventh containts a dotted box and an atom symbol. What to do...?

1. Order rocks from largest to smallest, paint side up. The spells S H O W _ N K. Where '_' is the seventh rock described above.
2. All of the letters are atomic symbols, so to complete the phrase - I is a single letter element that gives you "SHOWINK"Realize that I is missing. I = Iodine
3. GC gave teams a First Aid kit containing iodine...
4. Iodine the dotted box for the rock that should have an 'I'. Atomic number of iodine (53) appears - this was written in starch from a spray starch can
5. Iodine the backs of the rocks and notice that numbers and symbols appear
6. Order the rocks in increasing atomic number of the painted elements on the front, GPS co-ordinates read out as your answer

Solution

47.9772 N 122.2067 W which is on the Snohomish County Campus near the court house

Design Notes

Various iterations:

* Two letter elements and no atmoic symbol
* More cryptic phrase completions
* No use of size to cue you to complete the specific phrase
* Solution on backs of rocks as an anagram rather then GPS
* Solution on backs of rocks as a "ghoti" like solution (i.e. that spells fish phonetically)

Couple of thoughts....
* Landscape personell look at you strangely when you want to purchase 25 cobblestone rocks when the rest of their clientel purchases in truckloads
* Starch does not always fade on rocks - that's when green brillow pads come in handy
* 1% iodine doesn't work so well, 2% iodine works brilliantly. Next time, verify BEFORE purchasing 2 gallons of iodine for GC
* Washing and carting around 12 sets of 7 rocks + spares is an interesting and fun exercize in teamwork